Jason finally took some time off. *****EDIT*****

Last week we took our family to Okuma.  Okuma is a beach resort of sorts.  It is supposedly loads of fun.  Supposedly, you ask?  Another typhoon passed by the island over the weekend before we were to vacation.  We decided to be cautious and changed our plans from Mon-Wed to Tues-Thurs.  We were smart, but not smart enough.  The seas were still rough until Thurs evening.  When the seas are rough you are not allowed to swim.

The first night we had reserved a cabin, which has a full size bed and a set of bunk beds.  We arrived late and we chased the waves a little in our clothes (lost on action figure to the rising tide).  The most fun that night was the hour it took to get the sleeping arrangements figured out.  Both boys on the top, all three on the top, all three on the bottom, I want to sleep with mom, I want to sleep with Dad, Tennyson would not settle enough to sleep in the pack in play.  It finally ended with Jason and Charlotte on the top bunk (he is crazy), Jayce on the bottom (and miserable to be alone), Grahm, Mom, and Tennyson on the full.  I chuckled as I finally dozed.

The next morning we realized we could not go swimming.  The beach was mostly empty, but the lifeguards let us explore and play a little in the surf.  At noon we were told no getting wet at all.  The kids tried out Go Kart Racing to beat the afternoon boredom.  After dinner we went back to the beach and really played in the water until dark  - the best part of the whole trip.  That night we were in a suite (hotel room).  This was much easier - Private bathroom - need I say more.  Jason and I even watched a movie after the kids went to sleep.

****EDIT****  Totally forgot - a 5.4 earthquake woke Jason and I up at about 4:20am local time.  It was a wierd swaying motion - beds do not move like that - it felt like we were on water.  Kind of cool and scary (we both thought about a Tsunami, checked the TV and ended up going back to sleep for a few hours).  I guess not big enough or located where it did much at all.

The next morning same story - no swimming.  So we played as much as we could hoping they would clear it for swimming and finally called it quits and left.  They cleared it 2 hours later.

I loved it and can't wait to go back and really get to play - you can rent jet skis, banana boat rides, para-sailing, etc...

Happy Okinawaversary!

One year!  Wow!  A lot has happened in the year we have been here.  We are trying to enjoy it all and staying way too busy.  I realized today at church that we arrived on island the same day in 1847 that the Pioneer's arrived in Salt Lake Valley.  Now we have to reasons 2 celebrate, does that mean I can eat 2 pieces of Cheesecake?

5K

Kicking it at the end.  Go Jayce!

On Saturday, Jason's group sponsored a 5K run to raise money for the Wounded Warrior fund.  Jason has been busy getting ready for the event for awhile.  Jason was in charge of a section of the course (road guards and water station) so he could not run.  Jayce decided he wanted to run.  It has been fun watching Jason and him train (albeit not much).  Jayce really wanted to win in his age category.  Unfortunately, since this is the first year (a new annual event) they only broke the runners into 2 category's - over 30 and under 30.
He was a little nervous before the run started, we found someone else who was running that was willing to run the race with Jayce.  She was not there when we got there and Jayce did not rest easy until his running partner was there.  He looked like he had fun and finished the race with a kick and a time of 34:??minutes. He is excited to run another race with his Dad.

Before the Race.

 A shirt made as requested by Jayce and Jason (My Dad participated in a triathlon and my Mom made him a shirt like this).

Stretching.

Waiting for the speeches to begin and then finally the race.

Passing us and looking strong.

After it was all over, still smiling!!

Gifts from the heart

These are some of the gifts that I received from my 3 oldest.  They are my favorite gifts.

While Jason and I were finishing up the dinner prep before my Birthday dinner, they were running around and rummaging through their treasure stashes.  They also spent Sunday producing an amazing number of drawings.  I am so lucky to have children who were so excited about giving.

Jayce and Grahm found items that I can craft with - a ring to fix, buttons, beads, and shells.  I love the tattoos (I was asked if I would wear them, so I had better put them on), rocks and fossils.

Dreaming....

....Of being a Basketball Star (her words as she insisted on having it to sleep with).

Dream Big and Don't Doubt.

One more pic from the Fourth

I know the background looks fake, but it isn't.  We are glad some people are brave enough to bring their nice cameras to the beach.  We did not plan on a photo op, so this probably wont make the wall (I guess I am a little too vain).

We are loving the beaches and pools.

Thanks to All Who Serve!

Happy Fourth of July!  I love this holiday.

As Jason and the kids left me feeding Tennyson, I told them that they would have to share a bag of cotton candy.  They came back and gloated and flaunted their huge individual bags of refined sugar.  I thought I was married to a Dentist.  They did not share my instructions with their Dad (I guess they learn quick).  We went and checked our Amerifest, it was lots of food booths (with over priced tasteless food, not even the funnel cakes where good), and carnival games.  The kids where not very cooperative so we skipped looking at all the aircraft they had on display (maybe next year).  They had some bands playing, too -but we left and went to a softball game.

The kids love having color in their hair, so we did not pass up an excuse.

A little kiss to pass the time.

We also watched fireworks and they were nice and loud.  Tennyson was a little unsure, but managed to let us watch.  We spent the 4th at a beach enjoying the sun, friends and food.

More excuses

Okay, I thought I was going to get some pictures posted last week.  I do have some good excuses.  Swim lessons and a baby don't mix well (she misses a nap every day), baby has not felt well (only a few hours of fitful sleep last night - no temp or any way to diagnose the problem), I have been reading Raising Cain (very insightful - probably an annual re-read), couldn't get my latest pictures to load, and we made "the switch" (we are Mac users now - and I have been slow to sit down and get everything moved and loaded).

So any way - pics...

too cool to get in the splash pool for pics, but demonstrated swimming without prompting.  

It has been so much fun watching them improve their swimming skills.  Tennyson is a little brown bear from 2 weeks in the sun (sunscreen, hats, shade, long sleeves when I could) as are the rest of them.  Hopefully we can have fun in the water without me having to be in 4 places at the same time.

MIA and a new lesson.

Sorry I have been MIA.  First week of summer and it has been full.  We have swimming lessons in the morning - so I spend all morning getting 4 kids ready and out the door on time.  Early this week Jason was without a car, so that occupied my afternoons.  So the last few days in the afternoon we have been catching up on naps, laundry, and such.  Pics tomorrow.

We learned a new lesson.  Do not eat Mexican food on a small island in Japan.  It was not awful.  It was over priced and blah.  Mexican food is cheap and yummy.  This was neither.  The plate of chips and salsa had a handful of chips and small salsa for 450 yen (the yen rate is 78 yen to the dollar - so add 20%).  A plate of nachos was 1000 yen (about $12).  So we learned our lesson.  I cook better Mexican food and it is cheaper.  I guess we will be eating tons of Mexican food when we visit the states.

Celebrating the Year's Accomplishments

We had a potluck celebration to celebrate all that our Kindergartners learned this year.  This year was so wonderful for Grahm.  They sang us some songs in English and Japanese (Months of the year and days of the week).  They also did the ABC's of their class - A is for... 

We could not have asked for a better teaching team.  We loved Ms. Ermel and Ms. Patrice.  Grahm learned and grew so much this year.  Ms. Ermel gave us a poem about working with our flower to help it grow over the last year and the poem so wonderfully captures how I have felt as well.

I've worked with your flower,
And helped it to grow.
I'm returning it now,
But I want you to know.
This flower is precious:
As dear as can be.
Love, take care of it,
And you will see
A bright, new bloom with
Every Day.
It grew and blossomed
In such a wonderful way --
In September just a bud,
January a bloom.
Now a lovely blossom --
I'm returning to you in June.
Remember, this flower,
As dear as can be --
Though rightfully yours,
Part, will always belong to me!

They really fulfilled their role as a teacher.  I entrusted them with his learning (and in some ways they spent more time with him than I did) and they helped him to grow.  (I feel very differently about Jayce - kind of wilted my bloom).

Grahm will really miss them.  As Ms. Ermel was saying goodbye to Ms. Patrice and giving her the gift the class made (Ms. Ermel is leaving K5) they teared up and so did Grahm.  He was hiding his face in my skirt and wiping his eyes.  It was a few minutes before he could turn back.  It melted my heart.   He wont talk or hardly move when he is upset.  He wont take a hug or come near you.  Ms. Ermel told me that on the last day as they were getting their individual goodbyes that Grahm clammed up and did this.

Ms. Ermel and Ms. Patrice you will be missed - thanks for a great year.